Mean
by TheWarriorQueen
Summary: A oneshot inspired by the Taylor Swift song Mean, about the reason Severus Snape became a Death Eater. Not a songfic. Written for Lady Melody Lily. Complete.


**A oneshot inspired by the Taylor Swift song Mean, about the reason Severus Snape became a Death Eater. Not a songfic. Written for Lady Melody Lily. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the song, I do not own the Potterverse. All that is mine in this oneshot is my projection of feelings. (I was bullied too).**

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A teenage boy stalked moodily down a dark alleyway, his wand at the ready. Anger pulsed in his heart as his robes billowed behind him.

He wondered if he would be taking this route if Lily had chosen anyone else, anyone but James Potter. Probably not. But she chose his enemy, and that hurt worse than anything he had felt before. His thoughts wandered to the messy-haired Chaser, and he scowled darkly.

Severus may have invented Sectumsempra, but Potter's words cut far worse than the Dark curse could. They were like finely honed knives, cutting him deep, no matter how much he tried to ignore them. Every time Potter jeered at him and mocked him, it whittled away at his self-confidence. The number of times Potter bumped him on his way past could hardly be counted. It was always humiliating to sit in the middle of a pile of books in the corridor, late for the next class because he had to gather all his things again. He was tired of feeling like that, sick and tired of it. Whenever he was at his lowest, whenever he showed any weakness, Potter would pounce. Every harsh, condemning syllable had always made Severus want to cringe, cover his ears, but with all that he did not have, he still had more pride than that. And so he walked, stiff-backed, his ears burning, past his tormentor, hoping to simply get away with only a verbal attack. Severus sneered. Gryffindor bravery be damned, Potter never attacked him alone. He was always at a disadvantage. It seemed as though Potter always took him out with one swift move.

This, then, was his defiance. He was going to be on the stronger, winning side for once. He was going to have a finer estate than Potter Place; he was going to make Spinners End into a statement of success. He would have allies enough that Potter would touch him again at his peril.

Potter disgusted him. The Gryffindor was crueller than many a practitioner of the Dark Arts, especially because he never got punished. The moment the teachers arrived, it was assumed that the Slytherin had initiated the fight. Potter was the Light side's answer to Lucius Malfoy. He could trip Severus and pretend that he'd simply fallen over his too-large second-hand robes. Whenever authority figures were not present, Potter mocked him viciously, every flaw he could spot. Severus knew his hair was greasy, that was a side-effect of potion fumes. He knew his nose was not classically handsome, that was the result of one of his father's drunken rages. He knew all this and more, and he never claimed otherwise. But Potter harped incessantly on them, and it hurt. Sometimes, Severus gave in to the temptation and dropped his head down and just tried to leave as fast as possible.

He knew something must have made Potter the way he was. Maybe people expected certain actions from him, as he came from a Light-oriented family, and was in a Light House at Hogwarts. Severus didn't care what it was, however, as he decided that whatever side Potter was on, he would not be. He could not stomach the idea of having to fight alongside that insufferable, arrogant git and his so-called friends.

Severus knew what Potter didn't: one day the Dark lord would rule, and the once belittled Slytherin was going to be at his right hand, and Potter would have to throw himself on Severus' mercy. Then they would all see that Potter was a bully, and all bullies are cowards. Mean cowards.

And if the Gryffindor bought his way out, well, Severus wouldn't care. Potter would be doomed to spending his days in a bar, whittling away his family fortune on drinks, discussing Quidditch matches, with his same big, loud opinion, but everyone's ignoring him, because he just goes on and on. The once proud Potter would be relegated to being a drunk, bitter and grumbling, and mean as ever.

And Severus will smile mirthlessly, knowing that Potter is just that, mean, and a liar, and pathetic, and he'll be alone in life. And everyone will know the truth about his enemy.

Yes, joining the Death Eaters was, to Severus Snape's mind, a very good choice to have made.

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**~singing~ Bad boy, brew me a potion... And I'll be yours for the night... ~looks up~**

**Finished reading already? Oh. Okay then.**

**TheWarriorQueen**


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